Moreh school properties stolen after BSF pull-out
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, May 24 2024:
Amid the ongoing conflict in the state, several properties of Eastern Shine School, including roofing sheets, were found stolen taking advantage of absence of Meetei residents and security personnel.
Moreh police have registered a case in connection with the theft case, according to Meetei Council Moreh president M Thoiba.
Eastern Shine School, located in Moreh Ward No 7 and run by Meitei Education Society offers classes from Nursery to Grade 10 with the students composed of Tamil, Bihari, Nepali, Meitei Pangal, Tamil Muslim, Meitei, and Kuki.
Earlier, when BSF troopers were housed in the school no thefts were reported.
However, anti-social elements seem to be taking advantage of withdrawal of the security forces.
On Friday, Moreh police station officer in-charge Md Salauddin visited the school, assessed the situation, and registered a case regarding the theft.
Meetei Council Moreh has condemned these incidents of stealing the school properties and urged the government to address the issue promptly.
The crisis in Moreh escalated on May 3 last year following a tribal solidarity march turned violent in Churachandpur, which led to attacks on the minority Meetei.
The violence quickly spread to other Kuki-dominated areas, including Moreh town.
Armed mobs vandalised and torched houses, forcing Meetei residents to flee with only the clothes on their backs.
Many displaced Meetei residents sought refuge at the Assam Rifle's KLP post, while others fled to neighbouring Myanmar.
Assam Rifles escorted those in AR camps to Pallel later that month, and those stranded in Myanmar were brought to the valley area in the following months.
Currently, displaced Meetei residents are staying in relief camps set up in different valley districts of the state for over a year now.
Additionally, many Tamil and Bihari residents of Moreh also left the border town due to the violent confrontations between Kuki militants and security forces, and subsequent threats from so-called Kuki volunteers.